Method of stimulating plants



Rcissncd Jan. 18, 1944- lobes-t N. n-

Williamlen Delaware Pals. Northbrook. and Charles tlaWllmetteJlLasslgnors elation of American Uoap & Glycerlne Pro-' dIcersJnesNew York, N.

to M

a I, a corporatlonof in Drawing. Original No. 2.321.130, dated June 1s, ms. Serial No. 31am. February is. 1040. Application for reissue November 22, 1948, Se-

rlnl No. 511,354

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of stimulating plants, and more particularly to processes for reducing the mortality in transplanted plants,

and increasing the growth and resistance to certain diseases thereoi'.

The growth of plants is greatly retarded by transplanting, particularly where the plant is .kept out-of the soil for any considerable length of time. At the same time the resistanceof the plant to destructive influences is reduced.

By means of the present invention the vitality of the plants during transplanting is increased, and their subsequent growth, life, and resistance considerably improved.

For example, in the tomato plant industry several hundred million seedlings are shipped from southern to northern points every year. These plants are ordinarily packed in bundles of 50 or 100, with wet peat moss around the roots to retard desiccation. It has been Su gested that the peat moss also include nutrient materials and this has been done in some cases. The eflect of such nutrientsolutions is still somewhat controversial.

By means of the present invention the tomato seedlings, and particularly those parts of the assimilative systems thereof which are normally below ground, are treated with a solution of polyhydric alcohoLpreferably glycerine.

I one instance the process of this invention may be practiced as follows: Tomato seedlings are removed from the soil in which they are growing and packed in bundles of approximately 50 1 like uundle. The roots or the plants are then surrounded with an ample layer of peat moss, or other fibrous material, which has been thoroughly moistened with a relatively weak glycerine solution. The wrapped bundle may be then placed in a shipping container, such as a bushel hamper, and transported to the location where transplanting is to take place. The plants are then removed from the wrappings and from the bundle and planted in the usual manner. The time which may be permitted'to elapse between removal from the soil and replanting may amount to as long as a week or more.

To illustrate the eifect of the procedure above described and to compare the same with plants which are not given the benefit of the tonic proccss of this invention, growing tomato seedlings were removed from a field in uniform. condition" and the roots wrapped in peat moss wet'with wa ter alone.

2. Tomato plants were made up into bundles and the roots wrapped in peat moss wet with 0.1% glycerine solution.

3. Tomato plants were made up into bundles and the roots wrapped with peat moss wet with 0.5% glycerine solution.

4. Tomato plants were made up into bundles and wrapped with peat moss wet with 2.5% glycerine solution. The four lots were then placed in storage under conditions affectin all of the Plants uniformly. At the end of three days of such storage, some of each lot of plants were replanted. Of these replanted plants about of the plants whose roots had been wrapped with peat moss treated with water only, subsequently died. This mortality, of course, was dependent upon several factors, including initial conditions of the seedlings, the effect of handling, the atmospheric conditions prevailing at the time, and the like: but, under the same conditions, the plants whose roots had been wrapped with peat moss moistened with glycerine solutions exhibited a mortality which was considerably less than the mortality experienced with the water-treated plants. The most favorable results appeared in the case of the plants treated with 0.1% glycerine solution, where the mortality was in these particular cases less than 7% as great as the mortality of the water-treated plants.

The remaining plants in each lot were then held in storage until the total storage period was seven days, at the end of which time the remaining plants were replanted and allowed to grow for seven days. More than two-thirds of the plants treated with water alone failed to survive under these particular conditions, while again the mortality of glycerine-treated plants was much less than the mortality of the plants treated with water alone. The most favorable results appeared in the case of the plants treated with 2.5% glycerine solution where the mortality was less than 18% of the mortality experienced with the watertreated plants. Furthermore, in the plants which A. great number of experiments of similar-nature have been carried on and while the results or course vary inview of the variability of uncontrollable factors, the general results have indicated a clear preponderance in favor of the v seedlings treated with the polyhydric alcohol solution.

As a further specific instanceoi the practice of the processor thisinvention thesame has been pplied as a treatment t plants other 1;; than tomato 'plantsin a manner permitting" comparison with the results obtained with; plants handled by conventional methods.

The roots of bunches of cabbage plants were 1 packed in sphagnum moss and separate bunches were wet with the following liquidsi water, 0.1% Q glycerine, 0.25% glycerine, 1% glycerine. and f H subjected to shipping. A similar lotf oiplants was shipped without moss packing, according to previous-practice. The glycerine-treated plants experienced the lowest mortality (in theopnmum concentration the mortality was 'less'than Vs that of the controls), and also retained the greatest average number of leaves. The optimunr glycerine concentration in this case appeared to be about 0.25%.

Furthermore, vthe treatment of omoh plants during shipping with gly -rine solutions in moss around the roots has been found to keep the plants fresher and greener while. they were packed, so that they begin to grow sooner after; being put in the ground. The plants send out substances in comparison with water treatments have been definitely proved by experiment. v For instance, the stimulating effect of sorbitol as refiected in mortality was revealed by storing young plants the roots of which" were wrapped in peat moss treated ,with a sorbitol solution and bycomparing with plants treated with water as the liquid used for moistening the peat moss. The sorbitol-treated plants exhibited much lower mortality than those treated with water alone when set out in the field after fiveto eight days in storage. A

Benefits of the treatment of plant roots with polyhydric.alcohol'solution are also obtained with many plants and plant parts other than those described aboveas examples. For instance, benefits can be shown by treating the roots of pepper, sweet potato, broccoli, lettuce,-and other vegetable plants, as well as those of evergreens, fruit trees, roses, flowering plants, or any plant subject to transplanting. In the case of plants which are shipped in the dormant condition or those whose roots are not packed in wet material, the treatment may be carried out by dipping or soak ing the roots in polyhydric alcohol solutions prior to planting. For example it has been found that soaking the roots of roses in glycerine solutions bei'ore potting results in more rapid growth of the plants. Further, seeds, cuttings, tubers, root crops, and other plants and plant parts are benefited by treatment with polyhydric alcohol solutions.

As a specific instance of the effect of the proces of this invention upon tubers, seed potatoes have been treated and comparatively tested. In

doing this-a potato planting was conducted by making up as nearly "identical lots of seed potatoes as possible. Each lottotaled 30 lbs. in weight,

and was made up as nearly as possible of seed pieces cut to weigh. about 2 OZuGGClL. There was an unavoidable variation in the size of the pieces and the number oi eyes per piece, but the lots were or sufiicient size to substantially overcome the effect 01' such individual variations on the basis of the; law of averages. 'As a control, one lot of these pieceswas soaked one hour in water pieces was soaked one hour in 0.1% glycerine solution and planted immediately. Upon harvesting, the total yield from the glycerine-treat seed was substantially larger than the total yieldobtainedfrom the control seed and a greater proportion of potatoes of marketable size and condition was obtained from the glycerine-treated seed.

In similar fashion and employing lots 01' seed prepared to be as nearly alike as possible, in the manner set .i'orthabove, one lot of seed as a control was soaked one hour in water, dried five hours in the air, and then planted and the other lot oiseed was soaked one hour in 0.1% glycerine solution, dried five hours in the air and then planted. Upon harvesting the potatoes from the potatoes derivedfrorn theg ycerine-treated seed as compared with the potatoes derived from' the control seed.

water solutions of formaldehyde or mercury compounds prior to planting, for the purpose of controlling disease, the addition of glycerine to the soaking water may be availed of with very little increase incost andlabor, with an attendant improvement in the resultant yield. While we have experienced the best results in the case oi seed potatoes when a solution of approximately 0.1% glycerine is employed, a substantial increase in the concentration ofglycerine maybe employed, if desired, although the benefit of the treatment appears to decline sharply at concentrations of 1% glycerine and concentrations in excess of that amount ordinarily would not be desirable.

The result 01 treating roots oi tomato plants 5 with moss saturated with solutions of diethylene glycol and propylene glycol is shown below. These plants, including the control, were in storage six days before being set out in the field. The control plants were treated with water alone. Plants treated with 0.1% solution of dlethylene glycol sustained a mortality of about that of the control plants, while the plants treated with a, 0.25% solution of diethylene glycol experienced an even lower mortality. Plants treated with 0.1% solution of propylene glycol sustained a mortality of approximately /2 that sustained by the control plants, while plants treated with a 0.25% solution of propylene glycol sustained a mortality of approximately that sustained b the control plants.

The optimum concentration of polyhydric alcohol in these treatments will vary according to the type and condition of the plant treated. For

example, in the case or glycerine treatment of glycerine give greater and quicker growth and,

" flowering than control bulbs grown in water and planted immediately. The other lot of thesethis planting; alike increase in the yield and the proportion of marketable potatoes was noted in' Since seed potatoesare commonly soakedin alone. The reason for these apparent stimu-;

of said plant normally below ground a dilute wa- V lating actions is not obvious, but since they have been observed in very low glycerine concentrations (of the order of 0.1%) they probably do not result primarily from the humectancy of the glycerine.

In the claims hereof, by the term plant we mean .to include such dormant stages as seeds, bulbs and tubers and dormant trees and shrubs.

- The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and

no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of maintaining viability'ofplant material during storage and shipment which consists in placing in contact with assimilative parts thereof which are normally below ground a water solution containing polyhydric alcohol in a concentration from .1 to 10%.

2. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment which consists in placing in contact with the roots thereof a substance containing a water solution contain-- ing polyhydric alcohol in a concentration from .1 to 10%.

3. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment and during transplanting which consists in placing in contact with the assimilative system 'thereof which is normally below ground a water solution containing polyhydric alcohol in a concentration from .1 to 10%.

4. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage andshipment and during transplanting which consists in wrapping the roots of said plants with inert fibrous material moistened with a water solution pf polyhydric alcohol having a concentration from .1 to 10%.

5. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment which consists in placing in contact with the assimilative system of said plant which is normally below ground a water solution containing from 0.1% to 10% of glycerine.

6. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment which con- .sists' in placing in contact with assimilative parts of said plant which are normally below ground a dilute water solution of a glycol.

'l. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment which consists in placing in contact with assimilative parts ter solution of sorbitol.

8. A package for maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment comprising living plant material, a small amount of dilute polyhydric alcohol solution in contact with assimilative parts thereof which are normally below ground, and absorbent material maintaining the solution upon the plant material.

9. A package for maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment comprising living plant material, a small amount of dilute polyhydric alcohol solution in contact with assimilative parts thereof which are normally below ground, and non-living absorbent material maintaining the solution upon the plant material.

10. A package as set forth in claim 8, in which the polyhydric alcohol solution includes glycerine.

11. A package as set forth in claim 8, in which the polyhydric alcohol solution includes a glycol.

12. A package as set forth in claim 8, in which the polyhydric alcohol solution includes sorbitol.

13. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment which consists in maintaining in contact with the roots thereof an absorbent material having absorbed therein a water solution containing as its essentialingredient from .1 to 10% of a. polyhydric alcohol.

14. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment which consists in maintaining in contact with the roots thereof an aqueous solution containing glycerine having a concentration substantially in the range of 0.1% to 1%.

15. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment which consists in maintaining in contact with assimilative parts thereof which are normally below ground absorbent material havingabsorbed therein an aqueous solution containing glycerine having a concentration substantially in the range of 16. The method of maintaining viability of plant material during storage and shipment which consists in maintaining in contact with assimi- CHARLES LENTH. 

